Snow roller for roads



Jan. 26, 1932. p, DOYLE 1,842,717

SNOW ROLLER FOR ROADS Filed May 20, 1930 Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STAT PATRICK A. DOYLE, 0F COPENHAGEN, NEW YORK SNOW ROLLER FOR ROADS Application filed May 20,

This invention relates to improvements in devices for clearing or making passable highways which have been covered with snow to a depth which would otherwise prevent or make difficult the passage of vehicles thereover.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a rolling device by means of which the snow on roads may be rolled and 1 packed down so that vehicles may pass thereover without difficulty.

l inother object of the invention is to prorid a device for rolling and packing down snow on highways which is so designed that 3445 two packed paths will be formed divided by a central bank which acts to prevent sliding or skidding of the vehicle and which also acts as a guide for the driver of the vehicle during stormy periods when the roadway 29 would be obscured to a degree which would prevent the driver of the vehicle seeing the road ahead clearly enough to stay thereon.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the acconipa-irring drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawin but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 a plan view of the road roller eml'iodying my invention, portions thereof being in section.

Figure 2 illustrates a modified form of connection between the roller structure and a draft bar attached thereto.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the steering connection for the struc- J t'uro shown in Figure 2.

' 1 Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown and indicated by the numeral 1 a frame structure which is made up in the form of two units each of 1930. Serial No. 454,089.

which consists of a pair of forwardly projecting spaced parallel beams 2 which, at the rear ends, merge into an obtusely angled portion 3, the angular formation of the portion 3 of the outer beam being sharper than the angle of the portion 3 of the inner beam so that as is readily seen these portions converge at the point 4.

The convergent ends of the portions of the two units of the frame are secured together at the longitudinal center of the device through the medium of a draft pole receiving socket 5. In this socket 5 one end of a pole 6 is secured.

The aligned free ends of the beams 2 of the frame are formed to provide bearings 7 through which there extends an, elongated axle 8.

The axle 8 extends at eachvend through a roller 9 which is disposed between the pair of forwardly projecting beams 2 making up the adjacent unit of the frame. These rollers E) are preferably approximately two and a half feet thick or wide and about four and a half feet in diameter, the space between the rollers measuring approximately two and a half foot. While I have given certain di- Il'lQ-IlSlOIlS which I have found preferable I, of course, wish it to be understood that I do not want to be limited in any respect to these dimensions for it is sometimes advantageous to have rollers of greater or less width.

In use the rollers are placed before a tractor, the pole 6 being attached to the front of the same in any suitable manner and the rollers are then shoved along the road before the tractor, rolling down two wide paths through the snow and leaving a central bank of snow in the area between the rollers. It has been found in practice that better progress can In Figure 2 I have shown a modified construction of my road roller wherein the frame structure which is indicated generally by the numeral 10 is the same as that shown in Figure 1 and indicated by the numeral 1. However, the convergent ends of the portions 11 of the beams of each unit are attached to a stub pole 12 which is disposed therebetween. This stub pole is positioned between the rear ends of a pair of elongated plates, the up: per one of which is indicated by the numeral 13 while the other one is indicated by the numeral 14:, these plates being rigidly secured to and projecting from the rear end of a draft beam 15 which may be coupled at its other end'toa suitable draft device such as a tractor or the like. The coupling of the plates 13 and 141 with the stub pole 12 is effected through the medium of a pivot or king pin 16 which passesthrough a stub pole 12 between the bolts 17 by which the convergent portions 11 of the frame are attached thereto.

Secured to the forward end of the stub pole is a bevel gear segment 18 and there is in mesh with this segment a gearlt which is mounted upon a shaft 20 which is in turn mounted in a bearing 21 upon the top of the plate 13, the gear 19 engaging the segment 18 through an aperture 20 formed through the plate 13.

.By the use of the gear and segment coupling just described, which connects the draft pole 15 with the stub pole 12 together with I the plates 13 and 1 1, the rollers 9 may be steered.

It is, of course, apparent that there may be times when the rollers may be drawn behind the tractor, but when the snow becomes so deep that horses or a tract-or would be unable to ge.- through then the rollers are disposed ahead of the power unit and are pushed over the snow.

travel may be readily controlled through the steering means shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In either" case whether the rollers are pulled or pushed their direction of r between, means for pivotally connecting the stub pole to said plates, a gear segment car ried by said stub pole, a shaft extending longitudinally of and mounted on one of said plates, said gear segment being disposed between the plates, and a gear member carried by said shaft and extending through the adjacent plate for connection with said segment. i 3. A snow packing device, comprising a "frame structure formed in two units each comprising a pairof spaced parallel beams, laterally and inwardly directed convergent arms extending from each pair of beams and joined at their convergent ends, the joined ends of the arms of the units being disposed in relatively close relation, a socket disposed between the ends ofthe arms of said units andhaving the same secured thereto, a draft beam having one end inserted into said socket and secured thereto, an axle extending through and connecting the free ends of said beams, and rollers mounted upon said axle and each disposed between a pair of unit beams. V

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

, PATRICK A.

1. A snow packing device, comprising a 7 pair of relatively broad rollers, a supporting axle for the same, said rollers being disposed in spaced relation thereon, a frame connected to said axle, a stub pole connected to said frame, a draft pole, a pivotal connection between said draft pole and said stub pole, a gear and segment connection between the draft pole and the stub pole, and means for controlling said gear to effect a steering of the rollers.

2. A snow packing device, comprising a pair of relatively broad rollers, a frame, means for pivotally mounting said rollers in said frame, a stub pole attached to said frame, a draft'pole, a pair of plates carried. by said draft pole in spaced relation one to the other and receiving said stub pole there- 

